Emotions are a careful thing
by Avenger 22
Summary: Skittles Challenge on the Misgiving Writer's forum, go check it out! When Whirlwind comes after Manhattan, Natasha saves the day! But with the help of Iron Man? And what's Whirlwind's problem? Why Manhattan? Hope you like it Writer!
1. Red equals anger

Emotions are a careful thing

Chapter One, Red

_Natasha Romanov, a.k.a the Black Widow, was running. Running faster than she ever had before. She was-_

"Excuse me miss?" Asked a soprano female voice. Natasha looked to where it had come from, which was behind the counter of the bakery store she was in. She had long, curly blonde hair and wore a forget-me-not pink dress with a white apron on top. She smiled, as if she didn't know what was going on. She didn't," Can I help you with something?"

Natasha nodded and pointed at the large Oreo cook," I'll take a couple of those and a late to go." She said, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could.

"Great, that'll be three fifty please." Answered the woman with a plastic smile. But before Natasha could hand her the change, a very large explosion occurred.

"Excuse me for a minute." She said then fled the store. The woman stared at her, as if she were crazy. And she probably was, considering she had practically traveled the entire globe by now. But Natasha didn't care. All she cared about right now was making sure whatever the fricking villain had blown up, was okay.

When she finally reached the building, she almost gave out a sigh of relief. The building itself wasn't really damaged. But what in the hell had exploded? She prepared herself mentally for some dumb ass, off-the-wall villain. But instead, she was stuck with Whirlwind. Which, considering the odds, probably was a dumb-ass, off the wall villain.

She tried not to grit her teeth and stood her ground," Whirlwind? What in the hell are you doing here?" It almost sounded like a snarl, but apparently he thought she was amusing. Or at least, it looked like it.

He chuckled, a heartily," What am I doing here? I'm looking for the bug girl!" He exclaimed and Widow rose her eyebrows. She figured he meant Wasp, but even he must know that she was in New York City, not Manhattan.

"You idiot," Widow yelled, not caring if he heard her or not," Wasp lives in New York City not Manhattan!"

"Yeah well he's about to go back to New York if he doesn't stop!" Shouted a masculine voice. The two supers looked into the sky and saw a red and yellow figure landed from above them. The figure was robotic looking, save for the voice. Iron Man. But why was he here?

Whirlwind laughed again, this time, sounding a bit more psychotic," You wish!" He shouted and a green wind picked up.

"You get him from the side and I'll get him from above!" Tony shouted, as the wind began to grow stronger and stronger.

Widow nodded. Even though she was used to taking orders, she hated it. Absolutely, without a doubt, hated it.

But she didn't care. Right now, she had work to do.

She used her stingers on her wrist to draw his attention as Iron Man shot him from behind. She began to grit her teeth and decided to go into the wind. Slowly and surely, she crept closer and closer towards the villain.

The last thing she saw before she was slammed into a building was his demonic smile and laughter. And, until she lost consciousness, all she could see was the color red.


	2. Orange equals comfortwarmth

Emotions are a careful thing

Chapter Two, Orange

"Natasha. Natasha," Called familiar a voice from what seemed like the great beyond. Natasha's eyes fluttered open and she saw something red. Her eyes focused, and she saw Iron Man. She groaned and tried to sit up, but was pushed down by Iron Man," you hit your head against that wall hard. Are you alright?"

Natasha nodded and finally sat up. She noticed that instead of lying out on the streets of New York, she was in a hotel room," I'm fine. Where are we?" she asked as she stood up. She looked around and saw that the room that they were in had yellow wallpaper. A summer breeze came in from the right and Natasha turned to see a window with the curtains open.

Iron Man, who wasn't in costume, sighed," It was the only place I could think of. I was staying nearby and heard you were there so I went to help." His shirt was unbuttoned. Natasha shook her head and tried to ignore the urge.

Natasha nodded, looking around," Where are we?" she asked, feeling comforted that someone in the superhero community cared about her. Besides Fury and maybe Hawkeye, she couldn't think of anyone else. Even if he used her, she felt safe with Iron Man.

Iron Man sighed as he took out a drink from the miniature refrigerator. The glass was tall and was filled with a pink liquid. Natasha's eyes bore into Iron Man until he sighed," At the Motel Eight. Like I said, I was nearby when the fight occurred."

Natasha nodded," You might not want to drink that. We're going to be going after him." She instructed. Iron Man looked at the bottle, then back at Natasha. He did this for a while, and then sighed. After a few moments, he set the bottle on top of the fridge.

"Alright, what have you got?" he asked as she flopped down on one of the bed. She pulled out a tracking device, which was one of the things he liked about her. He liked the fact that always came prepared, no matter what she was doing. He sat down on the bed next to her, but not too close. He noticed that she looked less tense than usual, but couldn't explain why.

"While I was fighting Whirlwind, I placed a tracker on him. By this tracker, it was activated automatically. I have his location on here." She said and Iron Man nodded. The red dot was Whirlwind

"Which means we can track him," he said," I'll go check out and get my armor on. Meet me outside and we'll go."

Natasha nodded and jumped out the window before Iron Man could say anything. He had opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. He let out a sigh as he decided what to do with the wine that he had bought. After a few minutes, he decided to throw it away, knowing that he had several more bottles back at the mansion.

Natasha stood outside the hotel, with her hand on her hip. She smiled and greeted some of the people that passed by. She tried, with all her might, not to look like somebody that was unhappy. Or Goth. She let out a sigh and was about to start tracking Whirlwind when Iron Man landed next to her. She turned to him, feeling comforted that he had finally come.

"What took you so long?" she asked with venom dripping from her voice. She hadn't meant for it to sounds so discourteous, but she really did feel at ease when he was around. It meant that she didn't have to do things alone. It meant that she had a partner again, someone she could rely on.

Iron Man sighed," Sorry about that. Putting on this armor takes forever. Even though it is a new model." He extended his hand to her, and she took it.

She didn't want to be dangled in the air from her hands and was thankful that it didn't happen. Instead, she clung close to Iron Man, her body near to his. Apparently, not many people flew like this. However, Natasha was a special case. She leaned close to him, but not extremely close.

She pulled out her tracking device," According to this, we should be hot on his trail." She put it on her utility belt, so as not to lose it. She held tight onto Iron Man, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Sometimes, she was afraid that she was going to choke him. When he didn't say anything about her grip, she decided to let it go.

Iron Man nodded," Then let's keep flying. I know we can catch him." Natasha gave a nod, and clung tighter to Iron Man. Without thinking, she leaned her head against his chest. Eventually, she closed her eyes. Flying felt better this way, and Natasha thought that everybody should've been doing it. She began to think about it, and then banished the thought.

She carefully reached for her tracker. If Iron Man weren't holding her right now, she would feel as if she were falling. When she felt her hands brush the tracker, she grabbed it off her belt and checked the screen.

"We're getting closer. Keep going at this pace, Iron Man." She said and Iron Man nodded.

"You got it, Natasha." He said and sped up. A couple times, Iron Man instructed Jarvis on random things. Natasha didn't pay attention. She clung closer to Tony, her head touching his chest. Her red hair spilled into the wind, flowing like a banner.

For several minutes, the two were silent. There was the occasional wind, but nothing else happened. Natasha let out a tired sigh and Iron Man's mask withdrew to reveal his face. His lovely tan skin with its beautifully dark hair. His hair was ruffled by the wind, and his puppy dog brown eyes were something that Natasha couldn't elude. She felt herself drawing nearer and nearer to him. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.

She felt herself leaning closer to him. She gripped her arms tighter around him. She didn't feel or see any resistance from Iron Man. For that, she was fortunate and thankful.

She moved closer towards Iron Man, their faces almost touching. Her arms were tight around him. She leaned in closer and closed her eyes. Her lips puckered and eventually touched Iron Man's. She felt still no resistance as her lips moved with his. Which meant that he was kissing her back. She continued the kiss, drawing it out seeing that they had time. As time went on, Natasha's need grew more and more. The kiss grew hungrier, and Natasha's urge grew.

Eventually, Natasha felt him pull away. She shook her head as he put his mask back over his face. He cleared this throat," We're here. I'll try to land us as safely as possible."

Natasha nodded and felt a strong wind beneath her. She knew that Iron Man was telling the truth. As Iron Man flew downward, Natasha felt the wind pick up substantially. She could feel the airstream increase as they went down. Natasha almost slammed into a tree as she landed, but instead slammed into Iron Man.

She steadied herself and rubbed her temples. A green twister appeared in view, and Natasha pushed herself away from Iron Man. The time for comfort was over. Now she had to do her job.

**Me: So I know that I haven't updated in a while, but I hope this will remedy it. I know it was probably short, but I promise more action next chapter. I would also like to thank Sterling Raven and the Misgiving Writer for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Disclaimer-I own nothing, not even the plot, except for my own Oc's, so please ask before you use them!**


	3. Yellow equals fear

Emotions are a careful thing

Chapter Three, Yellow

Whirlwind whipped Natasha back against a tree several paces away from where Iron Man was. Dread and adrenaline gripped Natasha tight with both hands. She swallowed down a large lump and charged forward again with her hands out. Darts shot out of the containers on her wrists. Her eyes bore into the villain's soul.

Iron Man shot several repulsor rays at the villain, but to no avail. The villain continued to spin around and round in a circle. Natasha's attacks didn't seem to slow him any either. Iron Man wasn't sure how much more of this wind his armor could take.

Natasha suddenly came up with an idea. Albeit, not a good one, but an idea nonetheless. Her head snapped to Iron Man, her hands facing Whirlwind. She continued to shoot her darts at him, each bouncing off. For what purpose, Natasha wasn't sure.

"Iron Man, I have a plan," she said as Whirlwind's cyclone picked up speed. It seemed as if he were growing impatient," to take him out. I'm going to need your help."

Whirlwind turned his attention towards the two. Iron Man shot several repulsor rays as the wind stopped altogether. Whirlwind slid back several steps. Soon enough, he was almost halfway in the center of the forest. Natasha knew that it was only a matter of time before he bounced back. Iron Man turned to Natasha for the first time since they landed his mask still on. Natasha still felt the kiss of his lips against hers.

"Okay, so what's your plan? I think this guy is almost toasted." Iron Man responded as Whirlwind inched his way back. Iron Man repulsored him several times. Some of them hit and some of them didn't. Iron Man ignored the charred parts of the ground where he had shot with his repulsor rays.

Natasha beckoned towards Iron Man. He kept an arm trained on Whirlwind as the villain inched forward. Natasha also shot some darts at Whirlwind, who seemed to dodge them. Quickly, she whispered her plan to Iron Man. After a few moments, he nodded and followed her towards Whirlwind. The mutant villain almost looked shocked as if he had seen the scariest horror movie.

Natasha gave him her best smile," What do you want with me?" he asked, standing up as she neared him. He swung a punch at the Russian, who blocked it with her hand. Iron Man flinched forward, and instead stayed where he was. Natasha threw his punch back at him and Whirlwind swung his leg underneath hers. As easily and nimbly as a cat, she jumped over it.

"Depends," she said as she dodged another punch. As he swung again, she grabbed his wrist and twisted it," why are you here?" Whirlwind pulled his arm back and Natasha roundhouse kicked him in the face. He slid back several feet and Natasha walked towards his position. She could feel Iron Man behind her.

"Why am I here?" he repeated, as if he hadn't heard correctly. He scoffed and stammered, his eyes taking in Iron Man. He shook his head and tried to focus on the Russian," Because I want to be. I love it in New York. Here I can take down the non-mutant heroes like tissue paper."

Natasha rolled her eyes and watched as Iron Man shot another repulsor ray. Whirlwind dodged it," Really? Because it looks like it's the other way around," Whirlwind decided at that moment to start running. The wind picked up and Natasha decided to implement her plan. Putting her hands in front of her face, she stood her ground.

"Whirlwind, are you up for a game of tag?" asked Natasha, using her Russian accent. She knew that it drove the men crazy, and an old friend of hers had explained it to her, but she still didn't understand what it was that drove them wild.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Whirlwind answered as the wind picked up. Having gained some smarts, he continued," what's the catch?"

A grin split over Natasha's face and Iron Man cocked his head to one side. Natasha leaned towards him, making sure to lower her voice," I'm going to need you for this next part," Iron Man nodded and Natasha turned back towards Whirlwind," Awesome and now just to make it fun, let's set it a five minute timer I have to catch you in five minutes."

"What if you don't?" challenged Whirlwind, just as Natasha thought he would. Natasha could almost hear him scoff. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Iron Man set the timer.

"Then I'll just have to make sure that I do catch you," Natasha responded, making sure she sounded confident despite her apprehension. She wasn't sure if this plan was going to work, but she hoped it did," You might want to get a head start." If she didn't, she wasn't sure what she would do.

Whirlwind made his way away from Natasha as fast as possible. Natasha could hear that Iron Man had already begun the timer. She climbed the nearest tree and turned to Iron Man," You might want to follow me."

Iron Man nodded and did as he was told. The chase had begun and Natasha's mind raced wildly. She swung to the next tree, not missing a beat. Iron Man followed behind her, ready to shoot if the occasion arose. This was going to be a long game, especially if Whirlwind decided to stray somewhere else. Mainly a city, or anywhere civilization was.

Natasha kept her eyes ahead, making sure she scanned each leaf for Whirlwind. She could still feel his wind from where she was. It ruffled the leaves, her hair, and everything around her. She stood up in the tree, balancing as she did so. She listened, her hair waving like a red flag in the breeze, for any sign of which direction Whirlwind had taken. After a while, Iron Man had caught up to her and was floating by her side.

Eventually, she swung two trees ahead of where Iron Man was floating and leaned her foot towards the tree to the right. It touched the branch, but just barely. Iron Man raced ahead and caught her just as she was about to fall. He put her back on the branch, but not right away.

"You know, you could just have me fly you all the way to Whirlwind." He said as she continued swinging from tree to tree. Natasha shook her head defiantly.

"I don't want to give myself an advantage. Besides, it makes it more fun this way." She insisted, obviously lying. Iron Man shook his head and sighed as Natasha continued her course towards Whirlwind.

He watched as Natasha jumped to another tree branch. So graceful, yet so strong. Iron Man had looked almost everywhere for a woman like her. A woman, who was not only Russian, a redhead, but also someone, who could defend herself. Someone who could take care of herself. There was something about her that made him tick, especially the way she kissed.

Iron Man shook his head out of his reverie. He raced ahead, trying to catch up with Whirlwind. He knew that it would be a while before he and Widow got some alone time. Although now that he thought about it, Widow had wanted his help with something. He raced ahead further, zapping Whirlwind occasionally.

Iron Man paid attention to Natasha's progress as she neared Whirlwind's location. Even though Whirlwind kept moving, Natasha moved faster. She had just positioned herself on a particular branch when she noticed Whirlwind. She moved closer in on him, and Whirlwind moved. He must've heard her, but Natasha continued moving. She wasn't going to let him get away again if she could help it.

Iron Man had to admit, he loved her spirit. He would have to make her an Avenger. When she wasn't looking for Nick Fury that was. She would also make a good girlfriend, but he was already in a relationship. Still, her spirit and persistence he admired. He couldn't help following her. Hell, he would follow her anywhere.

Natasha felt frustrated with herself. She had almost caught Whirlwind and then she had lost him. However, that didn't mean she was going to give up. At least, not yet. Her legs and arms ached terribly, but that didn't mean she was going to concede. She would continue following Whirlwind past the time her limbs fell off.

She could feel Whirlwind's closeness as she raced from tree to tree. Everything else seemed a blur compared to what was in front of her. She stood stiff for a moment, and then headed in the direction she felt the wind coming from the most. She was right on Whirlwind's trail. She knew it.

As she recommenced her chase, apprehension gripped her. Perspiration stung her eyelids, which she wiped away. Her heart pounded faster than it normally did as she moved even closer to his location. The wind picked up progressively as she grew nearer. Anxiety choked her, and she shoved it aside. She knew that she couldn't act or feel any sort of fear when she was facing Whirlwind.

She could hear, just barely, Iron Man's jets closely behind Natasha. She practically ran from tree to tree, not missing a beat. When she knew that she could see Whirlwind, she waited for Iron Man to catch up. As soon as he did, he pulled back his mask to reveal his face. She didn't even turn to look at him as she spoke, keeping her voice low.

"Now would be a good time to instigate the plan I talked about earlier." Iron Man turned to Natasha, who nodded. After a while, Iron Man sighed in defeat.

He picked her up by her hands and held on tight. In his opinion, he didn't like this plan. What if something didn't go right? What if something happened to her? Would she fall where she was supposed to fall? Or would she land on the ground and break her neck? Despite these doubts, Iron Man followed orders anyway.

As he flew her closer towards Whirlwind, Natasha swallowed her fear. She held her breath as Iron Man moved closer to Whirlwind. He didn't seem to notice the heroes from above. At least, not at first. As realization dawned on him, the wind picked up substantially.

Iron Man continued to move, even though he was being pushed back. He braced himself as he braved through it. Slowly but surely, he inched forward bit by bit. Eventually, Natasha draped over Whirlwind, her feet dangling above his head.

Iron Man allowed his grip on her hands to loosen. Bit by bit, her hands slipped out of his. Eventually, she was allowing gravity to take her downwards. She closed her eyes for a split second, and then Natasha braced herself for the impact.

**Me: So I know I left you with a cliffhanger, but I did have some action. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but I was taking a bit of a break. Plus I had a friend over. I promise to update as often as I can.**

**Disclaimer-I own nothing, not even the plot, except my own Oc's so please ask before you use them!**


	4. Green equals calm

Chapter Four, Green is for calm

_You can do this_, Natasha repeated to herself mentally as her arms let go of Iron Man. For a while, time seemed to slow. Natasha physically prepared her body for the next phase of her plan.

She could hear Dave Cannon scream over the sound of his wind", Watch out Iron Man. Whirlwind is going to-"He stopped in midsentence and looked up just in time to see Widow land on top of him.

She got a good grip and held on tightly. The world was spinning faster than one of those spinning top rides. Widow felt Whirlwind begin to bend and sway shortly after she had attached to him. Not wanting to fall, she held on even tighter and focused on bringing down his arms. Widow thought she heard her name, but couldn't tell.

Suddenly she was focused on the fact that Whirlwind had stopped spinning. Instead of going around she was going down. Digging her fingers further into the costume probably didn't help her situation much.

She knew she couldn't let go of Whirlwind but at the same time, she knew that if she didn't get off this nightmare ride soon she would be splat on the ground. Before Widow could shout or call out to Iron Man she heard him over her intercom.

_"Widow, I know you said you were going to try to get rid of his spinning blades but I have another idea. Let's get you off of him before you become splattered."_

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Widow questioned raising her voice as Whirlwind plummeted himself closer and closer to the ground. The trees around her were growing taller and taller.

_"Just trust me." _Widow decided it was her only option. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long for him to act.

Just as Whirlwind was about to reach the ground, she felt strong steady hands pull at her waist. Releasing herself from Whirlwind she allowed Iron Man to pull her away from the mutant.

Part of her was annoyed that they hadn't found a way to defeat him or at least contain him. And part of her felt relieved that she hadn't become a squished Black Widow.

As Iron Man and Widow landed on the grass Whirlwind turned to them. Turning to glare at them he sounded irate and annoyed as he addressed them.

"Next time you want to try facing me, at least give me a challenge," He turned away sounding smug. Lifting his arms to his sides his face rotated slightly towards theirs ", Either that or bring the bug lady. Adios, Avengers."

This time Widow didn't try to go after him. Shielding herself she put her fists in front of herself. Iron Man did the same next to her his armor still in the air. Part of Widow wanted to go after Whirlwind but she figured it wouldn't end much better than this chase had.

The two watched as Whirlwind sped away. As soon as the wind had died down Iron Man turned to her. His mask was removed, showing his white smile and puppy dog brown eyes. For some reason it made Widow weak at the knees but she didn't dare show weakness in front of him.

"I'll put out an Avengers alert for Whirlwind," He spoke looking at the downed trees ahead of them. Turning back to Widow he closed the distance between them", So what about us? Dinner and a movie sound ok? Or would you rather go back to the hotel?"

Widow shook her head, feeling her heartbeat increase. She could feel herself becoming dizzier and dizzier but she didn't let it show. Instead she swallowed hard.

"I can't. Loved to, but I can't. I still don't know where Nick Fury is and I need to find him. If he's disappeared, it means something must've happened. And I need to know what."

He nodded but didn't say anything more. Eventually there was nothing left for him to do but lean his head down to hers. His mouth touched hers and moved against it. Despite everything telling her not to Widow responded hungrily to his touch. Wrapping her arms around Tony for a fleeting moment, everything felt okay. Tony's arms around her waist. However all too soon he pulled away and broke off the kiss.

Both stood there for some time after the kiss. After regaining some composure Widow spoke.

"I have to go." And with that she was gone. Racing from the scene she didn't look back. She didn't want to know his reaction or whatever he was thinking. Or had been thinking. Right now she had to focus on putting as much distance between herself and Stark as possible.

Fortunately it didn't take Widow long to get back to New York. It was three in the afternoon and Widow was back in her disguise. Wearing a black V-neck button up long sleeve shirt, black skinny jeans and red ankle high heels she entered a different coffee shop on the outskirts of Manhattan.

The shop was relatively small in size and decorated in scarlet, brown and tan bricked walls but it also kept Widow warm against the autumn wind. Plus they served great frappes. Just as she was heading to a table she was stopped by a woman.

The woman had tanned skin and short, midnight dark hair. Her sapphire blue eyes skirted over the room. She didn't look nervous, merely on edge. Widow hoped she wasn't from S.H.I.E.L.D or else this woman was in for some serious hell.

"Natasha Romanoff?" She inquired but Widow didn't make any sign of acknowledgement. The woman continued, as if she were on a time limit. She handed Widow a small piece of paper. ", I was told to give this to you. If you really want to know what happened to Nick Fury, then come to this location at the specified time."

And with that she left, taking two cups of cappuccino with her. Widow's mind tried to process what had just happened. She looked at the small piece of paper in her hand. Opening it up, she read the address and time. Folding it again she took a sip of her frappe and chose a seat near the window.

Far from Widow's location Tony Stark was training at Avengers Mansion. Wearing only a white tank top and sweatpants perspiration beaded on his forehead. Matching Steve punch for punch was starting to grow exhausting. Even the cool wisps of air were nice, but it was still too hot. However the heat of the room didn't explain why Tony felt so distracted.

After a certain amount of time, Steve stopped swinging. Tony almost didn't notice but didn't care that his face wasn't being pelted. He half thought that Steve was going to swing, but was shocked when the older man started taking off his gloves. Tony felt confused and decided to voice it.

"What are you doing? I thought you wanted to spar with my armor?" Tony asked and at fist Steve said nothing. As the boxing ring disappeared into the ground.

Not making eye contact with Tony Steve responded ", I think maybe another day. You seem very distracted lately."

Tony scoffed. Was it really that obvious? Shaking his head Tony undid his gloves ", What? I'm not distracted. I just have my mind on other things."

Steve chuckled under his breath "; I believe that's the definition of distracted." Was his only reply and Tony knew he was right. And hated it too ", So what's on your mind?"

"What are you talking about?" Tony countered and Steve turned around to face him. The living legend's face revealed a certain amount of wisdom. Tony knew that Steve knew that he had been distracted lately.

"I mean you have some issue or another that you're not willing to talk about that's on your mind. Whenever you're ready I'll listen." Steve responded with a gentle smile and Tony couldn't let him have the last word. Just couldn't.

"It's just," Tony stopped and Steve waited. Tony knew he was listening so he decided to finish. Even if he didn't give Steve everything, it was better to tell someone ", I saw someone I shouldn't have."

Steve nodded taking both gloves in one hands ", When you're ready to tell me the rest I'll be here. So same time tomorrow?"

Tony bit his lower lip nervously", Probably not. I have a business meeting and a press conference tomorrow. What about the day afterwards?"

Steve nodded and chuckled a little under his breath ", It's a deal. But just so you know you owe me a few extra push-ups and crunches." And with that Steve left the room.

Tony didn't comment on whether or not he thought Steve was bluffing. He knew that Steve knew that Tony was holding something back. He hadn't lied, but he hadn't told the entire truth either. A half-baked truth, something to get Steve off his back. And it had worked.

However Tony couldn't get over that Steve knew. And of course, he hadn't pushed the matter. Even though Steve knew something was distracting Tony the older man hadn't reacted like somebody else would. For which Tony was grateful.

As soon as Tony had his gloves and headgear off he headed to his bathroom in his bedroom in the mansion. The reason Tony had decided to share a room instead of live at Stark Tower was really to be closer to his team.

He could've very well lived at Stark Tower. Some of his things were already there while most of his belongings were in the mansion. His thoughts moved from himself to Natasha Romanoff as he slipped into the shower.

Feeling the warm water pour down his aching limbs was a reprieve from the intensity of the training sessions. More and more lately Steve had been pushing him, making him give his all. Whether it was to impress the living legend or simply to prove that he was more than just a man in a suit of armor.

While his physical body recuperated Tony's mind wandered. Going back on the events of earlier today he couldn't help but recall them. Especially the kiss he and Widow had shared.

Widow, her long fiery locks trailing in the wind as she had jumped onto Whirlwind. Her light skin glistening under the thin strips of sun the trees allowed. One of the last images he had of her was her running through the forest. And of course, he hadn't gone after her.

Part of him was annoyed that he hadn't gone after her. Because really, he could've brought her back to the mansion no matter what her excuses were. And part of him wanted to explore the feelings the kiss had brought up in both of them.

Tony gave a sigh as his lips remembered the kiss before the rest of him. The way her lips had felt against his, the way she had responded to him. Not only with her lips but with her body as well. His only regret was that he hadn't gotten to fully experience her.

_If you wanted her so much then why did you end it? _Part of him asked as he attempted to rub soap over his body. He continued to mull over this question as he rinsed himself off and grabbed a towel.

Even hours after his shower Tony's thoughts still went to Widow. Their kiss, her leaving and why she had even shown up in the first place. It consumed his waking hours and his dreams.

_A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed. It's really been helpful! It took me some time, but I decided that I needed to get this done. So anyway, here's the next chapter._

_I hope it's calming to you. Disclaimer-I own nothing, except my own Oc's!_


	5. Blue equals SadnessLoneliness

Chapter Five, blue is for sadness and or loneliness

It was several weeks later and Widow had, for the most part, distanced herself from the incident with Iron Man. Occasionally she would catch herself wandering toward the iron clad Avenger. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get him off her mind.

The woman that had approached Widow a few weeks earlier had been Quake, a.k.a Daisy Louise Johnson, a top level S.H.I.E.L.D agent. At least, before the proverbial shit had hit the fan.

Apparently, Directory Fury had caught wind of a Skrull. So, he had decided to mysteriously leave S.H.I.E.L.D. and come up with his own defense against them. His defense being a secret team composed of Quake, Mockingbird, and Black Widow.

But despite the desperation of the situation Widow was in she couldn't help but turn her thoughts to Iron Man. The way he had held her, the taste of his kiss. To Widow it seemed more recent than a couple of weeks ago.

Earlier this morning, Quake had dragged her into a sparring session. Widow at this point knew Quake well enough not to argue. It was pointless and would get her nowhere.

Quake would swing a punch at her, and Widow would dodge it. Quake would swipe a leg at her and Widow would jump backward. She didn't need to think about it. Not at this point. Even though she was distracted she could still rely on her instincts.

"So, what are you thinking about? Besides the Skrulls trying to take over the Earth?" Quake questioned relaxing her body. Widow just stared at her keeping her expression passive.

Widow shrugged", I don't know what you're talking about." Deciding to read Nick Fury's files about the Skrulls for the hundredth time she turned around. What she didn't expect was for Quake to keep up her interrogation.

"Then how come you looked like you were staring off into space?" She countered and Widow turned to face her.

A large smirk appeared on Quake's face. Quake's hands were on her hips but Widow wasn't going to allow her to win. She made her way past a large pile of crates and made her way to the computer. Booting it up she ignored Quake's smirk out of her peripheral vision.

Eventually, the mutant decided to give up. Quake had figured out a long time ago that if Widow didn't want to share something, she wouldn't. For the second time that day, Widow went to grab a cup of coffee.

Far from Widow's location Tony Stark was preparing for another "meeting". For the last several weeks Tony had made excuses to Steve to avoid training so that he could continue to search for the Black Widow.

Dressing in his usual red shirt, tan blazer, and black slacks he grabbed his red Ferrari and laptop and headed to the nearest Starbucks. Ordering a late and chocolate filled croissant he sat next to an outlet and plugged in his laptop. If anyone asked, he was doing business work.

The place itself was relatively large on the inside and out. It also provided warmth, which was especially nice since the autumn weather had officially taken over New York. The atmosphere was cozy enough and provided good sweets.

His only problem was that as soon as he had entered everyone turned to stare at him. Gossip spread around the café like the autumn wind. Doing his best to ignore the stares and chatter his eyes glanced around the room.

Part of him wanted to leave right then and there. And part of him wanted to wait it out. Just to see if she came later. A smaller portion asked why he had even decided to stake out anyway. His last attempts hadn't been successful so why would this one?

_Because you love her, _he replied unplugging his laptop and putting it back in its bag. He noticed a couple of women trying to call his name as he left. Overlooking them he walked out the door and into the cool afternoon_, Because you care for her. And despite that she's unreachable, you still feel drawn to her._

As soon as Tony got home he was greeted at the door by Steve. When the star spangled Avenger had asked him about his day, Tony had given him a half-assed explanation. And of course, being the stubborn piece of work that he was Steve didn't pester him. He just silently objected to his response.

Back at Nick Fury's secret warehouse Black Widow and Quake were preparing to go on an assignment. Natasha's eyes shifted to the door where she knew the Skrull was being kept. At first, she hadn't believed it when Nick Fury had told her. She had been in complete shock.

However, when she had seen it with her own eyes it became very real. That was when she knew that in her gut, she had been right to search out Fury.

Once Widow had finished putting a black wig over her hair she glanced at herself in the mirror. Adorning a black long sleeve button up with holy blue jeans and ankle high heels she still felt the chill of the temperature. Quake was wore an orange quarter length shirt, khakis and orange flats.

Once both had finished putting on their disguises they went to Fury, who was sitting at the computer desk. Turning to face them Widow got a good look at his board. On the board were photos of different heroes and villains who he suspected or didn't suspect of being a Skrull. Quickly she glanced at it then back at Fury.

"Your mission is simple," He began turning around to face the chart. Picking up two photos he held them on the desk beside himself. One was of a young, blonde woman with a white costume and the other was of a young African American man wearing a dark costume and hood over his face.

"Cloak and Dagger? The crime fighting duo? What about them?" Quake asked as Widow listened. She had read the S.H.I.E.L.D files on them. Mostly, they dealt with teenagers and drug addiction.

Fury nodded ", That's right. What I need you to do is follow them for the next couple of hours. Your objective is to observe for now. You should be able to find them at the Starbucks on the edge of town. Once you're done report to me."

"Understood Director," Quake responded ", But what do you want us to do if things get out of hand?"

Fury's response was quick but Widow didn't hear anything. Instead her thoughts went to Iron Man. They flooded her memory like water breaking from a dam.

The time Tony and Widow chased Whirlwind. The way she had brazenly jumped from his arms and onto Whirlwind. The feel of Tony's hands at her waist and the way his mouth had tasted against hers. Suddenly, someone was calling her name and she returned her focus to the present.

"What?" She looked at Daisy as they left the warehouse.

"Nothing. I'll see you at Starbucks." Daisy replied as she grabbed the nearest motorcycle. Starting up the engine Widow grabbed her own transportation as Daisy sped away.

As soon as Natasha was in the parking lot, she found Daisy's vehicle. Parking far from it she headed into the building. The coffee shop offered protection from the cool autumn wind which she was grateful for.

"So which one do you think Fury suspects of being a spy?" Daisy whispered as she sat down at Natasha's table. She glanced at the couple, who sat almost a table away. Turning back to Daisy she shrugged.

"Too early to tell." Natasha replied sipping from her coffee mug. Despite what she had told the mutant, she already had an inkling of who it was. However, one could never be sure in espionage.

Despite the fact that he had failed the first time, Tony decided to try staking out in a different coffee shop. It was still a Starbucks, but this time it would be a different location. He figured that maybe just that alone, would help increase his chances.

Ignoring the other Avenger's protests he left. Driving his red Ferrari out of the garage he gunned it to the outside of town. He was thankful once he got there when he did. A heavy turret of rain had begun.

Ordering a cappuccino and some food he sat against the nearest window. Watching the rain outside made him grateful he was somewhere warm. However the initial action of the stake out was more difficult than he could have thought.

He wasn't used to analyzing people like this, nor was he used to doing stake-outs. However, she had forced his hand and he was going to find her. Whether it killed him or not.

Eyes scanning the room he did see several gingers, most of them female. There was one woman who could've been her. She had the right build but not hair color. This woman was also with a friend, something he didn't expect of Natasha.

The other person she was with was dark skinned and had short, black hair. For some reason, both looked familiar but Tony couldn't place their faces. He kept looking.

Tony made one last sweep of the café. He finished his drink and threw the meal in the trash. Just as he had made it to the counter to pay he thought he saw someone look his way. For a brief moment, his eyes met those of the dark haired woman's. They were a light shade of emerald, similar to hers. Then, just as suddenly, they looked away and Tony turned his attention to the woman behind the counter.

Natasha let out a silent sigh of relief. She watched as Tony Stark exited the coffee shop. She figured he had recognized her. No matter how much she might want to, she had to stick to her mission.

Turning to Daisy Natasha waited for the verdict. The dark skinned mutant pocketed the cell phone. Natasha glanced briefly at the targets, then back again at her mug.

"Alpha says we can engage but do it carefully. Our window is sensitive and limited." She hissed and Natasha made her way toward the duo. Daisy excused herself to the bathroom having gotten a text from Bobbi Morse.

Natasha engaged the targets. Yes, she had been in the coffee shop for a while. Yes, she did know who they were. And no, they didn't know who she was. What was she looking for?

_ What else would I be looking for?_ Natasha thought to herself as the three of them exited Starbucks. _How about which one of you is a damn Skrull?_

After Tony had left Starbucks he had gone straight to his room. Without changing his clothes too much he had fallen asleep on his bed. In the morning he hadn't bothered to shower. He knew Steve's sparring lessons would just make him break a sweat.

Getting dressed into workout clothes he headed to the gym. He was continually badgered by the others, especially Jan. He told her he'd been seeing someone and had just recently broken off the relationship. Fortunately, that had shut her up long enough for him to make it to the training room.

Upon entering the training room Tony saw that everything had already been set up. The boxing ring was up and Steve was leaning against it with his blue gloves. His arms were crossed over his chest as Tony entered the ring.

"So what's her name?" Steve asked casually which caught Tony off guard. Normally, Steve wasn't one to try into one's personal life. In fact, he normally kept to himself when it came to personal matters.

"What? Who's name?" Tony responded, which was his way of stalling and Steve knew it. He shook his head but Tony ignored him.

The star spangled Avenger swung a left hook at Tony. He blocked the hit and came in with his right. Steve dodged it and swung again. This time it almost hit Tony's face.

"Is it that blonde you were with last week? Or the German model the week before?" Steve asked as he swung his leg underneath Tony's.

Tony groaned ," Neither, and I ended things with them a long time ago." He replied falling down with a _thud_. Steve extended his hand and Tony took it.

"Well whoever it is, she's clearly got you wrapped around her pinkie." Steve replied as he took a small gulp from his water bottle. Tony did the same.

Tony gave an annoyed sigh, "Is it that obvious?" He asked throwing a towel around his neck.

Steve chuckled as he took off his gloves. The boxing ring faded and Tony also took off his gloves ", It's always been obvious. Although lately it's been even more so. Especially when you skipped that one training session."

"So let me get this straight? Because I skipped one training session, you suspected me?" Tony inquired as Steve made his way to the door. Turning to Tony he folded his arms over his chest.

"That and you seem more distracted than usual," Steve replied ", And though I may not know a lot about women I do know when one's evading your grasp. So you can either admit something's bothering you, or keep it bottled up. It's your choice." And with that he left.

Tony looked down at the ground then moved his eyes to the boxing gloves on his hands. He knew that Steve was right. However he just felt that he couldn't move on. The way Steve made it sound, it was easy to let go of someone like her. Someone like Widow.

As he headed to the showers, Tony slowly but surely tried to let go of her. Not only the memory of her but how she made him feel and how desperate she had made him feel. The only thing he did keep to himself however was the taste of her kiss. He would savor that even if he did never really see her again.

_Author's Note: I know it's been literally _forever_ since I have updated this. However I should have more time now that I'm done with school. During this summer I will try to get as many stories either completed or updated as possible, so please don't give up on me readership! Also, review please!_


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